The present invention relates to a printer for a rolled paper in which a printed rolled paper is cut away for ticket issue.
In a conventional printer for the rolled paper, in order to mount the paper on the printer, it is necessary to nip an end portion of the paper between a print head and a platen roller. In order to facilitate the nipping of the paper, the print head is provided on a printer body and the platen roller is attached on a cover.
FIGS. 10 and 11 show the conventional printer.
Referring to FIG. 10, a print head 112 and a movable blade 120c of a paper cutter are mounted on a printer body 101. A platen roller 116 for pressing the paper of a rolled paper 124 against the print head 112 and a fixed blade 120b to be engaged with the movable cutter 120c are mounted on a cover 105.
The rolled paper 124 is mounted on the printer body 101, and a paper end portion 124a is pulled out of a paper discharge opening 106, and then the cover 105 is rotated in the direction of an arrow F to close the printer body 101.
FIG. 11 shows the closed state. The paper 124 is nipped by the print head 112 and the platen roller 116, and the paper end portion 124a is pulled out of the paper discharge opening 106 passing through the gap between the fixed blade 120b and the movable blade 120c. 
This printer has an advantage that the paper can be easily attached to the machine. However, since the print head and the platen roller are separately mounted on the cover and the print body, it is difficult to securely keep the contact of the print head with the platen roller. Since the fixed blade and the movable blade are separated, it is difficult to keep the engagement accuracy. Furthermore, since the fixed blade and the movable blade are positioned near the paper discharge opening, there is a danger of contacting and injuring of user""s fingers when mounting the rolled paper. In addition, the print head is exposed when the cover is opened. As a result, if user""s fingers contact with the print head, the fingers may have a burn.
The printer shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 is made to obviate the above described disadvantages and dangers.
Referring to FIG. 12, a cover 205 is pivotally mounted on a printer body 201. On the printer body 201, there is mounted a print head 212, a platen roller 216 pressed against the print head 212 for feeding paper 224, and a cutter 220 for cutting away the paper 224. The cutter 220 comprises a fixed blade 220b and a movable blade 220c. A paper inserting opening 220a is formed between the fixed and movable blades.
As shown in FIG. 12, the paper 224 is mounted on the printer body 201, a paper end portion 224a is inserted between the print head 212 and the platen roller 216 in the direction of an arrow {circle around (1)}, and the platen roller 216 is rotated in the direction of an arrow H to feed forward the paper, thereby inserting the paper end portion 224a in the paper inserting opening 220a of the cutter 220. The paper is further fed to be discharged from a paper discharge opening 206 as shown by an arrow {circle around (2)}, and the cover 205 is closed in the direction of an arrow G as shown in FIG. 13.
Although the printer resolves the problems of the printer of FIGS. 10 and 11, it is troublesome to set the paper in the printer.
An object of the present invention is to provide a printer in which the paper can be easily set without injuring the user""s fingers.
According to the present invention, there is provided a printer having a printer body and a cover rotatably mounted on the printer body, comprising, a paper holding portion provided in the printer body for holding paper, a paper discharge opening formed between the printer body and the cover at a front portion of the printer, a paper cutter comprising a fixed blade and a movable blade and provided in the printer body adjacent the paper discharge opening, a print head provided in the printer body adjacent the paper cutter, a platen roller rotatably mounted on the printer body and contacted with the print head, a pressure roller rotatably mounted on the cover so as to be pressed against the platen roller when the cover is closed, the paper discharge opening, paper cutter, and platen roller being disposed so that the paper is pulled out from the paper discharge opening passing over the platen roller and between the fixed and movable blades.
The printer further comprises a return paper receiving space formed between the platen roller and the paper holding portion.
A paper set detector is provided adjacent the print head, and a control circuit is provided for receiving a paper set signal from the paper set detector and for starting the platen roller rotating in the paper return direction so as to return the paper nipped between the platen roller and the pressure roller.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.